Two Queens families are reeling after flash floods from Hurricane Ida’s remnants destroyed their home and their children’s school supplies about a week before classes are set to begin.
“Everything is gone, destroyed,” mom Sunciya Vijayarajah, 42, whose family lived on the first floor of the Flushing home, sobbed to The Post Friday.
“I couldn’t control myself today. I’m not sending them to school next week, maybe next month. Me and my husband have to work and save to buy some of these supplies back.”
Flood waters from Ida’s barrage of rainfall surged through the two-story home where the families live and deluged the basement and first floor, destroying nearly $3,000 worth of school supplies, Vijayarajah said.
“It’s horrible. Within two hours our lives have changed forever. Our world came to a stop. I don’t know how long it will take to get back to normal,” said Jayaraman Venjayesh, 46, who lives with his wife and kids on the home’s second floor and stored school supplies, toys, clothes and groceries in the home’s basement.
“It’s going to take a long time.”
Vijayarajah said she’d just spent $1,500 on supplies for her 17-year-old daughter, who is gearing up for her first semester at Hunter College, and another $300 on her 14-year-old starting high school and $350 on her 9-year-old son. The book bags, iPad, laptops, headphones, books and coloring pencils she purchased for her kids were all destroyed from the flooding, Vijayarajah said between tears.
“My oldest was screaming yesterday. She is not eating. Her princess bedroom set — all gone, garbage. She said, ‘I don’t want to stay in this house. Please buy a new house,’” Vijayarajah cried.
“We have no gas, so there is no food. The food we have, we have to throw out,” she said, pointing to bags of rice on the sidewalk.
“There is too much lost. I have to remodel the house. I’m looking at close to $100,000. Where am I going to get that money from?”
Shashikala Kupusamy, Venjayesh’s wife, said their 6-year-old daughter and 9-year-old son are in the Gifted and Talented program at their Whitestone school and the $600 worth of supplies she bought for them were ruined in the flood.
“I’m going to go to the school and ask for time to get the supplies,” said Kupusamy, a substitute teacher.
“I’m helping them to stay on track.”
Kupusamy said after the flood destroyed her and her husband’s car, she also doesn’t have the ability to get them to school.
“I need a car to take them to school. Since COVID, I don’t allow them to take the school bus. One of our cars went to the junkyard and the other the insurance took it,” the mom said.
“I did not sleep for two days. I’m worried. I am confused. I don’t know what to do.
“Only God can help me.”
The storm destroyed homes across the borough and killed at least 13 people citywide, including a 2-year-old boy who is believed to have drowned in his basement apartment with his parents.
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September 04, 2021 at 07:19AM
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Queens families lose school supplies from Ida's flash floods - New York Post
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